When people find a positive test result on the “blood” parameter with ThePetCheckup it is often due to some type of infection. Any positive result on the blood parameter should be followed up.

There are many reasons for blood appearing positive on the urine test, but they are not always from serious causes. It may be as simple as something rough (perhaps a piece of a stick) that your dog ate or a very tough blade of grass that your cat chewed on. This can irritate the digestive track, but is a temporary situation and should heal right up. If no other symptoms are noticed, the amount of blood is minimal, you can just retest in a day or so and see if it has cleared up.

We occasionally are asked if there are two separate test kits for dogs and cats.

The answer is no: the same ThePetCheckup kit is used for both dogs and cats.

Our test materials are calibrated for animals and are sold to veterinary clinics throughout the world. The special packaging of our test strips is to enable pet owners to use them for preventative care and early detection.

It is generally easier to collect a urine sample from a dog, but we do offer several suggestions in our manual for collecting samples from cats. And we also let people know about the Smart Cat Box, which makes testing urine very simple!

“It is said that the beating of a butterfly’s wing is felt by the farthest star. All things are connected. With each act of kindness, with each loving thought, with each prayer, the entire world is lifted closer to a state of grace for all beings.”

Dogs and cats who are on a high protein diet will usually show a trace amount of protein in their urine test. My cat Belle was on a special diet which was high in protein and she always tested “trace” on the protein parameter. My veterinarian said it was due to her high protein diet and to contact him if it ever went above trace (which it never did).

Her annual blood work always came out normal as well, so it was great to be able to keep such a close eye on her test results.

Some people are surprised to know how common urinary tract infections are in puppies. There are some specific reasons for this:

Since puppies are usually in the process of being potty-trained, having an accident in the house may not be the red flag it would be with an older dog. That enables the untreated urinary tract infection to become more serious.

Another reason is due to the high energy level of puppies. If they are not drinking enough water, the urine in the bladder becomes more concentrated and that can lead to an infection.

Not getting your dog spayed can also lead to urinary tract infections. The pH changes as your female dog goes through puberty. Getting your pup fixed before the first heat will prevent this imbalance.

Since the beginning of the year, over 120 dolphins have stranded on Cape Cod. I love to read the Cape Cod paper online everyday, but it is really heartbreaking to see that the strandings keep continuing.

IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) and many volunteers are doing an amazing job to save as many dolphins as they can. And several of the released dolphins have headed out to deep water and more have been recorded up by the Maine coast.

There are several possible theories regarding this mass stranding, and scientists will continue to study the situation. There most likely are several factors that are contributing to the stranding of these beautiful animals that live in a sea of man-made pollution. I hope NSTAR is taking note and re-evaluating their position of spraying chemicals needlessly and irresponsibly around their power lines.

We recommend testing your dog or cat’s urine first thing in the morning. Results are generally more reliable.

For example, nitrite which is an indicator of a bacteria infection may show a negative result if the urine was not in the bladder for at least 4 hours.

Specific gravity, which is the ratio of the weight of urine compared to the weight of an equal amount of water can vary before and after exercise. (This is especially important in comparing test results for your dog).

Testing the same time of day each time you test and recording your results on the results page will give you an easy way to compare any changes that may appear over time.